Skip to content
All video conversions

M4V to 3GP converter

Convert M4V to 3GP in your browser. No upload and no account: the file never leaves your device, so the only size limit is your device’s memory.

I want 3GP
Quality

Applies only when the video has to be re-encoded. A straight copy keeps the original quality.

Advanced 2
Always re-encode Rebuilds the picture as H.264 (VP9 for WebM) even when it could be copied. Fixes files that won’t play on older TVs and PCs.

Bytes of your files sent anywhere: 0 B

Related conversions

Other ways to convert M4V

Convert other formats to 3GP

Read more about the M4V format and the 3GP format, or see every video tool and all video conversions.

Should you convert M4V to 3GP?

Usually a quick, safe conversion. 3GP can carry H.264, which is what M4V files normally contain, so the video can often be copied across without re-encoding: fast, and with no loss at all.

Check that 3GP is really needed: it plays in old phones, VLC and some Android galleries; modern apps often refuse it, while M4V is mainly an Apple format.

M4V is an MP4 video with Apple’s extension; 3GP is a small mobile video format from the feature-phone era. You make 3GP only for an old handset; you convert from it to rescue old phone videos.

M4V and 3GP compared
Property M4V 3GP
Usually contains H.264 video with AAC audio H.263 or H.264 video with AMR or AAC audio
Support Mainly an Apple format A legacy format
Plays on Apple apps and VLC; some Windows apps and upload forms reject the extension Old phones, VLC and some Android galleries; modern apps often refuse it
Best for Apple TV and iTunes libraries Very old phones and low-bandwidth playback
Introduced 2003 2003

How to convert M4V to 3GP

  1. 01

    Add your M4V

    Drop your M4V video onto the box, or click to choose it. It is read from your disk and stays there.

  2. 02

    Check the settings

    The output is already set to 3GP. Change the quality if you want to; the defaults suit most files.

  3. 03

    Save the 3GP

    Press convert and save the 3GP. Several files come back together as a ZIP.

What changes when M4V becomes 3GP

Often a straight copy

When the M4V holds H.264 video, the stream is moved into the 3GP container untouched, so the conversion takes seconds even for long files. If the codec inside is something 3GP can’t hold, the picture is re-encoded instead and you’ll see a progress bar that takes longer.

3GP is an older format

You make 3GP only for an old handset; you convert from it to rescue old phone videos. For sharing, uploading or playing on phones, MP4 is the better choice.

Expect a much smaller file

M4V: The same as the equivalent MP4. 3GP: Often just a few MB a minute. Shrinking the file is often the main reason to make this conversion.

This page is put together from our notes on each format, choosing only what is true of M4V and 3GP, so every pairing states the same facts the same way. How these pages are made.

Why it doesn’t upload

Video files are big, and uploading one just to change its container can take longer than the conversion itself. Your browser can read and write these formats, so the file never has to leave your device.

How to check for yourself

Worth knowing

  • About the M4V. Films bought from the iTunes Store are copy-protected and can’t be converted by any tool; your own M4V exports convert in seconds.
  • About the 3GP. Old 3GP clips often carry AMR audio, which many players can’t decode, so the video plays in silence.
  • MP4, MOV, MKV and WebM are handled by your browser’s own video engine, often with hardware help. AVI, WMV, FLV, MPG and the other older formats use the FFmpeg engine, a one-time 31 MB download, and are slower.

Questions

Does converting M4V to 3GP lose quality?

Not when the video can be copied, which is the case for most M4V files: the stream moves into 3GP untouched. If it has to be re-encoded, the default quality keeps the difference invisible.

Will a 3GP play on my phone?

3GP a legacy format: old phones, VLC and some Android galleries; modern apps often refuse it. VLC plays 3GP files, and so do most Android phones.

Other tools